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Walking the Ludo Hiking Trail
Hiking in the Algarve is regarded as a highly rewarding experience. Not an experienced hiker in the best sense of the world myself, I rather tentatively asked my friends next door if I could join them for their Wednesday morning saunter down the Ludo Hiking Trail. Randy and Harald have been hiking together for several years…
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Food for thought
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 dawned in Estoi, Portugal and it was time to shop for provisions. My friends, Randy and Marc kindly provided supper the previous evening and Randy obligingly carted me off to the grocery store the following morning. A a short walk of about an hour in a loop behind the quinta completed…
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2020 Vision: Portugal Again!
Slightly more than a year after my second sojourn in theAlgarve, my Portugal adventures begin again on Monday, January 6 when I will be arriving in Lisbon. Most of that day, the Feast of the Epiphany, will be spent on a train from Lisbon to Faro. I’m looking forward to spending time at the Quinta…
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Road trip to the West Coast
On Thursday, January 3, we hit the road for a tour of the west coast of the Algarve. It was a bit cloudy when we set out but the sun prevailed later in the day although the west coast lived up to it’s reputation for being cooler than the central Algarve. With Randy at the…
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Silves
The town of Silves, the oldest metropolis in the Algarve and one time capital of the region, reclines on the banks of the Rio Arade. The hilltop fortified citadel and cathedral were a focal point for trade in the region. According to local history, settlements have existed on the site since the Iron Age and…
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Cork forest tranquility
New Year’s Eve Day featured a return trip to the village of Alte and a visit to a cork forest on the way. Randy remarked that very little traffic was to be found on the tiny single lane road we travelled to reach the cork forest. He parked off to the side of the road…
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Vila Real da Santo Antonio
The town of Vila Real da Santo Antonio takes its Christmas nativity scene very seriously. On Friday, December 28, my good friends and favourite tour guides, Randy and Marc, took me to see the installation that stays in place until the arrival of the Magi commemorated in the Feast of the Epiphany. It was a…
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Roman Ruins in Estoi
Last year, I managed to miss seeing the Roman ruins in Estoi and this year they are almost next door to the where I’m staying. Thursday morning seemed like an opportune moment for a walk, so Randy and I headed out. It was a lovely walk with plenty of freshly blooming trees, scenery and urban…
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Christmas Day in Estoi
Took an afternoon walk through the town of Estoi on Christmas Day. It was warm and sunny. The Algarve has been several degrees warmer than usual, this year. Perhaps the effect of climate change. That’s why the almond trees are blooming earlier than usual.
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Christmas in the Algarve
It took a while for all the brave Santas to show up on Christmas Day in the morning but eventually a crowd of them plus Frosty the Snowman made it. At the signal, they all took off for the water. Remember, it’s the Atlantic Ocean, never terribly hot at the best of times.
Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground
A personal point of view…
Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground 